Disobedience the Cause of Captivity

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying , 9 "Thus has the Lord of hosts said , ' Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother ; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan , the stranger or the poor ; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another .' 11 "But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing . 12 "They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets ; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts . 13 "And just as He called and they would not listen , so they called and I would not listen ," says the Lord of hosts ; 14 "but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known . Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth , for they made the pleasant land desolate ."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Zechariah 7:8-14

Commentary on Zechariah 7:8-14

(Read Zechariah 7:8-14)

God's judgements upon Israel of old for their sins, were written to warn Christians. The duties required are, not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays restraint upon the heart. But they filled their minds with prejudices against the word of God. Nothing is harder than the heart of a presumptuous sinner. See the fatal consequences of this to their fathers. Great sins against the Lord of hosts, bring great wrath from his power, which cannot be resisted. Sin, if regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the success of prayer. The Lord always hears the cry of the broken-hearted penitent; yet all who die impenitent and unbelieving, will find no remedy or refuge from miseries which while here they despised and defied, but which they then will not be able to bear.